On the central ring of the arena, the battle had entered its final, explosive stage.
"Earth Old Man Fist: Battle Bowling!"
Lao G's aged body suddenly began to spin like a tightly wound top, rotating at an incredible speed. He transformed himself into a human bowling ball, crackling with destructive power as he slammed fiercely toward Fisher Tiger.
However, faced with this bizarre and powerful attack, Fisher Tiger's weathered face showed no trace of fear.
"Fishman Karate: Shark Tile True Punch!"
He took a deep breath, concentrating all the strength in his body into his right fist. With a mighty roar, he unleashed a simple straight punch. It was a terrifyingly powerful blow, designed to penetrate water and shatter anything in its path. The punch met the high-speed spinning "bowling ball" head-on.
Boom—!!!!
After another earth-shattering clash, one figure could no longer hold on. He was sent flying backward from the ring like a kite with a snapped string. With a loud bang, he crashed heavily onto the ground outside the arena, defeated.
It was Lao G.
"Trash!"
In the luxurious viewing room on the top floor, Doflamingo watched his family executive's miserable defeat. He angrily crushed the wine glass in his hand, shattering it into tiny fragments. Although he knew it would be difficult for Lao G to win the entire tournament, he never dreamed that he would lose to an obscure Fishman whose name he had never even heard.
What would this do to the Donquixote Family's reputation?
A surge of violent rage shot straight to Doflamingo's head. He wanted nothing more than to march into the arena himself and use his indestructible threads to tear that damned Fishman into a thousand pieces. But this was Takero's territory, and even he didn't dare to act so recklessly.
Just as he was struggling to suppress his anger, a familiar figure—one that always put him on high alert—slowly walked in from outside.
Takero looked at Doflamingo's face, which was as dark as the bottom of a pot, and couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong? You look constipated."
"You...!" Doflamingo's anger instantly found a target. He shot up from the sofa, ready to explode, but when he saw that it was Takero, the furious curses on the tip of his tongue were forcefully swallowed. His ferocious expression vanished in an instant, replaced by a pained, flattering smile.
"You… you are right, Lord Takero," he said, clutching his stomach as if he were sick. "I… my body is indeed… a little uncomfortable."
"Oh? Is that so?" Takero said flatly. "If that's the case, then what are you still standing here for? Go see a doctor. Don't die in my place; dealing with your funeral would be a hassle."
Doflamingo was furious but dared not say a word. Normally, who on this sea would ever dare to speak to him like that? Only this monster in front of him. He forcibly calmed himself, forcing a smile that was uglier than tears. "Since that's the case… then I shall take my leave."
With that, he walked out of the oppressive viewing room without looking back. Takero didn't give him a second glance, simply letting him go.
Once only Takero and Tesoro were left, Tesoro spoke up, his eyes gleaming with shrewdness. "Boss, I have a feeling Doflamingo's visit to Ambri Island isn't just for the tournament. He must have another objective."
"I know," Takero replied, a smile of absolute confidence on his face. "Whatever his objective is, it doesn't matter. As long as I am here, all of his plans are nothing more than a clown's tricks."
"The boss is right!" Tesoro immediately echoed with respect.
Meanwhile, Doflamingo, who had left the coliseum, met up with Lao G, who had just received medical treatment.
"I'm sorry, Young Master!" Lao G said, his face full of shame. "I… I have disgraced the family!"
"It's fine," Doflamingo said, his mind clearly on another matter. "How is Law doing? Did he successfully infiltrate?"
"Reporting to Young Master," Lao G replied immediately. "We haven't received any news yet. However, with Law's intelligence, I'm sure a small matter like this will be no problem for him."
"Fufufu… Fufufufufu! Excellent!" A sinister, calculating smirk reappeared on Doflamingo's face. He took a deep breath and looked back at the magnificent coliseum.
"Just you wait, Takero," he said to himself. "Once Law has gathered all the secrets of your 'Golden Group' and figured out where your monstrous power truly comes from… I, Donquixote Doflamingo, will make you pay!"
…
At the "House of Hope," an orphanage affiliated with the Golden Group, Law was mixed in with a chattering crowd of children, waiting to be assigned a room. This morning, he had gone through a simple registration, giving a fake name and backstory. Now, he was in a spacious, brightly lit hall.
Law subtly scanned his surroundings. There were a lot of orphans here, most of them around his age or even younger. 'What does this guy Takero want with so many useless orphans?' he wondered. He quickly dismissed the thought. It didn't concern him.
Just then, the doors opened, and several steaming food carts were pushed in. The rich aroma of food filled the room, and Law could hear the children around him swallowing hungrily.
Then, a beautiful and noble woman with distinctive golden, curly eyebrows walked in, holding the hand of a timid boy who shared her features. It was Queen Sora and her son, Sanji.
"Children," Sora said, her voice gentle as she looked at the uneasy faces before her. A loving, motherly smile graced her lips. "It's time to eat."
"Wow—!!!"
At her words, the orphans rushed toward the food carts like a breaking dam. Sora was instantly surrounded, and Sanji was squeezed and pushed in the chaos.
"You damn brats! Behave yourselves!" a guard in a Germa combat suit behind Sora shouted. He drew his longsword and threatened, "If you dare to bump into Queen Sora, I'll make you regret it!"
The children froze, terrified by the guard's cold threat.
But then, Sora spoke again. "Colin," her voice was still gentle, but it carried an undeniable authority. "Calm down, I'm fine. Put your sword away. Don't scare the children."
"…Yes!" The guard named Colin reluctantly sheathed his weapon.
Sora turned back to the children, her warm smile returning. "Children, don't rush. Please form a line. There's plenty of food for everyone. I promise, from this day on, you will never go hungry again."
The orphans looked at each other, then began to form an orderly line. Their gazes toward Sora were now filled with admiration. To them, this beautiful woman was like a goddess, gentle and kind.
Sora watched as the light of hope returned to the children's eyes, and she felt her maternal love grow even stronger. Unwilling to remain idle, she had asked Takero for something to do, and he had made her the director of this new orphanage.
At the back of the crowd, Law watched everything unfold. A trace of disdain appeared in his gray, lifeless eyes.
'This woman is not as simple as she looks,' he thought. 'With one small trick, she's made all these foolish brats grateful to her.'
Law considered himself far more mature than the other children. He believed he had seen through Sora's "scheme" instantly. First, the guard played the "bad cop," using threats to establish authority. Then, she stepped in as the "good cop," winning them over with gentleness and food. A classic stick-and-carrot approach.
'She has some tricks, I'll give her that.'
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